Putin snubs Zelensky's peace offer, tells troops to get back to work

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected the offer of a direct meeting made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an open letter, saying on Friday that he saw no point in such a meeting at this stage.

At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin said agreements on a lasting solution to the war, which has been ongoing since 2022, would need to be reached before any such summit could take place.

He also said the letter, published by Kyiv the previous day, contained "elements of insolence." Putin said that the best response to the letter was a call to the Russian military: "To work, brothers!"

Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia's war aims can also be achieved through a continuation of fighting if diplomacy fails.

On Thursday, Zelensky offered Putin direct peace talks in a separate country to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to an end.

In the letter, Zelensky alluded among other things to the advanced age of the 73-year-old Russian president and highlighted recent Ukrainian successes in drone strikes on targets deep inside Russian territory.